Thick N Thin
by Just-Jayme
Summary: OccursAfterFreakNation~Chapter 6, A lot of talking, but some new info is revealed. PairingsJ/Someone,M/L
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Dark Angel does not belong to me, instead it belongs to 'King of the World' James Cameron and his steadied on old chap, Charles Eglee.  
  
Thick n' Thin  
  
Chapter One  
  
Summary ~ After Freak Nation, Jondy tries to get by in a seemingly even crueller and colder world.  
San Francisco, 2021  
  
"Zoggs! Wake up!" Jondy heard as she squinted her eyes into the sunlight at the figure who had thrown open her curtains.  
  
"What?" She asked groggily, throwing her blanket completely over her head and curling up in a little ball inside it.  
  
"Hello! 5am! Wake up call, remember!" Jondy's roommate and best friend Lexy yelled. They were going to be bridesmaids for their friend Dione's wedding.  
  
"Sorry. Too much alcohol last night. Haven't slept so much in years."  
  
"You're forgetting New Years Eve." Lexy replied smartly, walking over to Jondy's bed and trying unsuccessfully to pull her blanket off. "You better be ready for make up in 10 minutes."  
  
"I'm ready now! Just gotta splash some water on my face." She walked into the adjoining bathroom that she shared with Lexy and Lexy's twin brother Scott. They had pretty much adopted Jondy after meeting her at a bar when she was 17 and had been looking for a trustworthy roommate at the time. After talking with her for just 10 minutes, they knew they had found a true friend. They had discovered she was a transgenic after the constant news reports as they had known about her barcode 'tattoo' but they had grown up with a lot of money and people wanting to use them and their evil money- hungry, and Jondy had looked past that, looked past their harsh relatives when others wouldn't. So Scott and Lexy, after a nanosecond of thinking, had easily been able to look past the cruel factor of Jondy's existence.  
  
Jondy walked into the kitchen when Lexy walked in, having just woken up her brother who had to be ready to be Best Man. The threesome's best friend's, Dione and Greg, fondly known as Catch were getting married after a three year relationship. They too knew of Jondy's past but their unpleasant upbringings made them immediately not care. They too were of high social standing in their families and had grown up being best friends, as their mothers were. They had run away together when they were 18 and met Jondy, Lexy and Scott soon after. After small prods from their friends, they had become a couple, a happy one at that, and the rest as they say is history.  
  
"That brother is going to be the death of me." Lexy said, shaking her head as she poured herself a cup of coffee in their above-average apartment.  
  
"What did he do this time?" Jondy asked grinning. She loved how close Lexy and Scott were, it felt so comforting and reminded her of her own siblings, although sometimes it made her yearn for them. As Lexy raved on about Scott's hangover and the stripper asleep on his floor, Jondy couldn't help but wonder how Max was doing. She had seen her on TV and only Dione's wedding and the constant media attention as well as the threat of being captured was keeping her away from Seattle. Okay, Jondy admitted to herself, that was a lot, but Maxie meant so much to her and only those possibilities kept her away.  
  
"Hello? Wakey wakey Zoggs!" Lexy snapped her fingers in front of Jondy's face as a magician might do in front of a hypnotized person.  
  
"Sorry. Zoned out." Jondy apologized. She couldn't remember where the nickname Zoggs had come from, she suspected it was the result of a late night drunken talking fest she, Lexy and Scott normally had and she was now fond of the nickname.  
  
"Aiight, Scott has to be at Catch's by 6 and Dione should be arriving any second with her mother and the hairdresser slash make up artist.  
  
"Hairdresser slash make up artist?"  
  
"The hairdresser IS the make up artist. After Dee made up with her mum she insisted she use her aunt as the hairdresser, slash make up artist."  
  
"Right." Jondy nodded, never really understanding the strange things families seemed to value. She knew she valued nothing as much as she valued her Manticore siblings or her friends. She looked up from her bowl of mushy porridge as the stripper from Catch's bucks party the night before failed at getting out of the apartment unnoticed. Scott wandered out of his room soon after, dressed in loose blue cargo pants and a t-shirt and carrying a black zip-up bag containing his perfectly straight suit Jondy had ironed compulsively the night before. Dee's pre-wedding jitters had rubbed off on her and she wanted everything to be perfect almost as much as Dee did. Scott left for Catch's after being thrown an apple for breakfast from Jondy and Dee arrived soon after, nervously clutching three long white zip up bags, and standing in front of two impatient looking older women.  
  
"Let's get suited up then!" Jondy said excitedly after being handed her bag.  
  
***** "Cheers!" Everyone chorused as Scott finished his loud speech and toasted the bride and groom proudly. Jondy, who was sitting on Catch's left stood up nervously, mentally preparing herself for the 'mission.'  
  
Deep breath, relax, make eye contact, smile. "When I first met Greg and Dione, I had never known such emotionally desperate people. They were two beautiful beings, but they both seemed so lost. That immediately changed when they found each other. Their love has touched us all, never has there been something so innocent, so beautiful, so pure. I cannot imagine them being without each other, their souls are linked as one and I'm sure they will be for many years to come. To their love." Jondy finished, smiling broadly at making it through her carefully planned speech without error.  
  
Go Jon, she silently praised herself. If only dear daddy Deck could see me now. Soft brown hair in angelic curls, strapless baby blue gown bringing out her eyes, an accented figure. She patiently sat through the other toasts, even those by the pathetically lame Scott and Catch, who could cause murder when they got together. They had decided to toast everyone from the wine maker to Eyes Only. Thankfully for them, the wedding guests were quite tipsy and those who weren't, such as Jondy were just naturally tolerant. She had swapped from champagne to water after their first three toasts, to Catch's dog, his grandfather and the maker of his bow tie. She felt a pang in her bladder and caught Lexy's eyes, signalling she heads to go to the bathroom. Lexy nodded and smiled, as though to say she'd cover for her. Jondy made her way down the stairs from where the function centre was on the second floor to the bar on the first, where the toilets were located. She escaped to the bar for a martini, "very dry" and sat watching the TV. She widened her eyes as she saw live coverage of Terminal City. The number of reporters and camera crews had died down considerably. I guess maybe the media frenzy is finally coming to a halt. About time. Maybe now I can contact Maxie. She'd been craving to see her sister ever since she fell thought the ice and for years Jondy had a sick feeling in her stomach, as though something was wrong and Max was dead. But, as she later realised, that feeling was there because Max was alive. It was Jondy worrying about her little sister. That feeling had increased when Max had become involved in the 'Jam Pony Hostage Crisis' but had settled down as she saw the live footage of a man throw himself into the line of fire for protection of her sister. She was sure Maxie was in good hands.  
  
"There you are!" Scott exclaimed, coming down the stairs at the far end of the bar causing the ten or so other people in the bar to turn and stare at Jondy. She blushed, but as usual Scott the loudmouth didn't notice. "Come on, Jon, you gotta come shake your ass on the floor."  
  
"I will not shake my anything." Jondy said, turning back to her glass and swirling around the olive absentmindedly. She had quickly become accustomed to the world outside of Manticore and could fit in almost anywhere with as much knowledge and class to be a such 'Lady of the Manor.' Scott came and sat down next to her, ordering a shot of vodka and downing it as soon as it sat in front of him. He looked up to the TV as a picture of Max came on, describing her as a 'patriot without a cause'. "Hot one. She's big news, her. All about the fairness and bouncing, shaking it with her homies. I'd love to scoop her."  
  
"That's my sister." Jondy said dryly, wondering why Scott didn't know.  
  
"No shit." Scott said, thinking she was joking and then seeing the picture of seriousness on Jondy's face. "Serious? Ouch. Sorry. But your parents musta bin hell good looking."  
  
"Parents. Yeah." Jondy snorted, swallowing her olive then getting up. "Let's go join the party upstairs. Maybe I'll even give you that dance."  
  
Scott smiled softly and followed, wondering why she seemed so sad. He stopped her at the top of the stairs. "Your sister, you miss her, don't you?"  
  
"Like hell."  
  
"Bet you do. Don't know what I'd do if I couldn't see Lexy every day."  
  
"I just wish things had been different, that I'd found out about her without her face being plastered over the news everywhere. It sure makes things hard. It'll be hell for me to get into the compound."  
  
"I'll help." Scott offered.  
  
"Really?" Jondy asked, not sure whether he was actually offering or just trying to make her feel better.  
  
He nodded. "Tell you what. You go up there and party like it's 1999 with me, we finish the reception on a happy note, tell Lex the plan, wait for the honeymooners to leave and then you ride shotgun to Seattle."  
  
"Road trip?" Jondy asked, her face breaking into a soft smile that made her eyes seem like endless tunnels of light.  
  
"Road trip!" Scott yelled, throwing his hand into the air for a high five which Jondy complied with a smile. "All right then Zoggs. Let's loosen you up. Champers should do it."  
  
***** Three hours later, Scott had retired to the table and Jondy was stirring things up on the dance floor. She wasn't drunk or even tipsy, but she felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. A good road trip was always what she did to clear her mind, normally on her motorbike, and Scott knew that. She felt blessed at having such a great friend who would take her to another state just to visit her sister. But it was more than that. She saw the way Scott looked at her; it was the way she looked at him when she thought he wasn't looking. The way she wanted to study every part of his face, and watch how his mouth creased up at the corners when he smiled. She finally felt carefree, she was gonna get out and see her sister. Road trip, she thought happily. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: It's exactly what it sounds like. It states that I don't own Dark Angel, and, as most disclaimers say, I sure as hell wish I did. I think now it's property of stoopid people at Fox who don't realise what they're missing. James Cameron pitched a third season to them and they rejected him!!! Dumbasses! Heeheehee anyhoo Dark Angel isn't mine. Nor is Paul McCartney. Y'know, the beatle? . . . . . The singer? . . . . . From the band who sings about peace? . . . . . Never mind!  
  
A/N~ Thankyou to Kimmi (you should like my story now, Pickle cos you're in it), Mel, agmgdafan, Beth and Alix for the reviews. They are VERY. MUCHLY. GREATLY. Appreciated.  
  
Thick N Thin  
  
Summary~ ROAD TRIP!  
  
6am, western standard time  
  
"You tampon-users got everything?" Scott asked as Lexy and Jondy made their second trip down from the apartment, carrying bags full of what the girls believed to be 'necessities'.  
  
"Almost. . . And ew!" Lexy said, cringing at what he'd said.  
  
"I dunno, I thought he was trying to make an attempt at a joke." Jondy teased lightly, smiling as she lifted her small toiletries bag into the trunk of Scott's car with a soft smile. Scott couldn't help but smile as he noticed that when she smiled, her crystal blue eyes smiled too, lighting up her whole face. As they climbed into the backseat of Scott's 2001 metallic blue Subaru convertible, he closed the door proudly and then walked to the drivers side, adjusting the mirrors carefully as they shuffled around trying to get comfortable in the back.  
  
"So did the newlyweds get off okay?" Scott asked as he started up the engine and pressed the button so that the roof moved over.  
  
"Oh yeah. Couldn't stop giggling at each other and making kissy-faces. Tell ya, I needed a toilet to throw up in!" Lexy said convincingly.  
  
Jondy gave her a weird look. "Sometimes you seem to prove that you have the immaturity level of the average eleven-year-old. But of course you don't mind if it's you and your current boy-toy with the kissy-faces, do you?" She grinned at Lexy who had thrown a small cushion at Jondy.  
  
"Course not! Why would I?" Lexy grinned and reached for her cushion. She had brought it in the car in case she felt like going to sleep at any time during the drive.  
  
"You guys want any?" Scott asked, reaching behind him but not taking his eyes off the road as he handed them an opened packet of Maltesers.  
  
"Oh My God! Maltesers! Where did you get these?" Lexy yelled, immediately grabbing a handful.  
  
"Black market." Scott joked. "Nah, they've reopened a couple of old chocolate factories. I got hold of some newly produced packets, through gruelling work, and my, uh, connections." He added as an afterthought.  
  
"You know someone who works in the factory, dontcha?" Jondy asked smiling, seeing right through him.  
  
Scott chuckled and hid his head.  
  
***** A couple of hours later, the sun now high in the sky, Lexy was gently snoozing, laid out on the length of the backseat and Jondy had moved into the front seat, not feeling at all tired after the four hours sleep she'd gotten last night, which was easily enough for her for a couple of days.  
  
"Zoggsie?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You miss her much?"  
  
"With all my heart." Jondy said truthfully. "We were once so close we could tell what the other was thinking. I remember, during one game of escape and evade, she was thinking 'don't look up, don't look up, don't look up.' She was always the last one found, and those found before you have to be 'it' as well, and then the last person to be found has to run to the checkpoint once they're found, unless it takes longer than the time limit to find them. I was standing there and it was like I heard her thoughts, so I looked up, and she was there. It was an incredible feeling, knowing what she was thinking. We didn't really have much to tell to each other, all of us, but what there was to tell, how we felt during a drill, how we felt about certain foods, Maxie and I told each other everything. After the others had gone to bed of course. God I miss her." She added quietly, turning to stare out the window.  
  
"Wow. It must have been amazing. When Lex and I were kids, at school, we used to trick the other kids into believing that we could read each other's minds. Although when we were kids, we hated each other so, we actually couldn't." He chuckled. "The first time I remember feeling how Lex felt was probably the saddest. We were 13, it was just after our favourite nanny had died and no one else knew how we felt. Our parents never seemed to take any notice of us and she seemed to be the only one who really cared about us. We grew closer through her death, began to have similar feelings as the other. But the first time I felt her thought, felt Lex in my head was when. . . she was" His voice cracked and he looked away from the road for a second, into Jondy's eyes. "She was. . . "  
  
"Being raped." Jondy finished sadly.  
  
He nodded, swallowing. "It was so hard for her to deal with. But having me there helped her, I think. That made us even closer."  
  
"What would we do without our family? I know that we don't always see them physically, but whenever I feel sad or lonely, I feel like Maxie's with me. Or if I need a hug, after a bad dream, I envision Tinga on the end of my bed. If I acted particularly rebellious one day, Zack appears to discipline me, or Syl helps me choose what to wear when I'm going out somewhere." She turned to see Scott staring at her.  
  
"I know it's weird." She covered.  
  
"No, it's not. I think it's wonderful, how you can feel so close to them, knowing they're so far away." He confessed.  
  
They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Jondy spoke up. "You need a new name."  
  
"What? Like Zoggs?" He kidded.  
  
"No. Like . . . . . Scooter!" She finally chose with an exclamation.  
  
"You're kidding? Scooter?" He asked patronisingly.  
  
"What's wrong with Scooter?" Jondy asked, pretending to be hurt. "It suits you!" She yelled happily, grinning from ear to ear as she remembered how fun it had been for her siblings to name each other at Manticore. They had decided to give each other names after they had heard one of the guards talking to another, called 'Gary'. Jondy laughed, thinking of all the fun they'd had, inventing names.  
  
"Now that's better." Scott said smiling.  
  
"What is, Scooter?" Jondy asked smiling, turning in her seat to him.  
  
"That noise you just made. Laughter. REAL laughter. It's a sound I haven't heard out of your mouth for a while, not since I told that hilarious leprechaun joke."  
  
"When are you going to realise, my dear Scooter, I was laughing AT you for that horrendously lame piece of crap!" Jondy finished, nodding her head for exclamation.  
  
"Whatever. But it's a great sound out of your mouth. It makes you seem like a child."  
  
"Are we there yet?" Lexy asked from the backseat.  
  
Scott snorted. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect. "Not yet, sweetheart." He joked.  
  
Jondy giggled.  
  
"I don't get it." Lexy asked confused.  
  
Jondy turned to smile at her. "Just one of those things you have to be awake for."  
  
"All right! Surf and turf! Let's eat, kids!" Scott said, pulling over at a roadside diner.  
  
"You read my mind, Scooter." Jondy said clambering out after Scott.  
  
"I don't get it."  
  
***** Jondy drove silently, switching on the radio quietly so as not to wake the two sleeping angels in the backseat. Or, sleeping monsters, whatever way you thought of it. She hummed along to an old Beatles song. Even Jondy knew who the Beatles were, and after the death of Paul McCartney last year, they had become even more famous, had it been possible. It was well into the night, Jondy's favourite part of the day. The trio had spent most of their day in the car, playing fun car games and occasionally stopping for a leg stretch or a quick run around. Jondy remembered what Max had looked like from the news broadcasts. Damn, was she pretty. Long brown hair, piercing brown eyes, and a gorgeous face. Long, slim figure and an air about her that just screamed 'Don't mess with me unless you want your ass kicked.' It was practically the Max she remembered, apart from the obvious attitude and confidence. 'But,' she thought, 'Max always was pretty confident. Disobeying Zack, doing her own thing, playing her own game. Standing up to him, although of course she always gave in, in the end. Doesn't look like she'd give in much, these days. Leading a whole city of soldiers, fighting capture by the whole city of Seattle. Busy work for a girl of 21.' Jondy settled into the seat, feeling safe with the picture of Max tucked safely in her mind with thoughts of love and anxiety as she wished to see her sister, hug the one she had thought about more than anything else in the world over the last 12 years, even food. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Dark Angel the t.v show is product to James Cameron, copyright 1999 or 2000. I'm not sure what year is accurate but that's unnecessary. All that matter is that I don't own Dark Angel and I want to. If anyone is interested in selling it, you should KNOW I would SO take extra special good care of it! I'd love it and feed it and clean it's cage and play with it and all that.  
  
A/N~~~ Thankyou to all my reviewers. Feedback is good. I like feedback! I am feedback's bi*ch! Yaha.  
  
A/N~~~ Thankyou to Kimberley and Kristen for all their love and support. You guys are the best.  
  
Thick N Thin  
  
Jondy felt a shudder as the car stopped abruptly in front of a large metal compound. From a map Jondy knew that they were parked on the East side and the East side gate was about 300 metres to their right.  
  
"Everybody out." Scott said cheerfully, taking a long look around with disbelief on his face.  
  
"What?" Jondy asked him, exasperated.  
  
"Nothing!" He screeched innocently. Lexy raised her eyebrows from the back seat but said nothing.  
  
"Oh, come on. It's written all over your face." Jondy said pointedly.  
  
"How are we supposed to get in there?" Scott blurted out. Jondy looked at him with a look of confusion on her face. Wasn't it obvious?  
  
"We jump." She said sarcastically. "Hello? Seattle is famous for it's massive sewer system." She added with a smile.  
  
Scott nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess that's one way." Jondy gave him a playful slap on the back of the head.  
  
"Y'know, bro, sometimes I wish I had your genius. I mean, you find a solution to everything don't you? And the way you use your mind, it's just. . . it's very inspiring." Lexy told him, her tone drooling with sarcasm.  
  
"Shuddup." Scott grumbled, knowing his sister was taking the piss out of him. He handed the girls their bags from the trunk. "Okay. You guys have all your things?"  
  
"Yep." They both nodded. Jondy suddenly felt a weird feeling in her stomach. Nervousness. What if Max didn't remember her? Or worse, what if she had been expecting Jondy sooner and was mad at her for not coming? 'Suck it up.' Jondy told herself. 'I'm sure Max will be happy to see you.' 'Yeah, right.' Replied the other side of her brain sarcastically. She snapped back to attention as Lexy and Scott looked to her for directions.  
  
"You gonna lead the way, Zoggs?" Lexy asked gently.  
  
"What? Oh, yeah sure. Follow me. I think I know where we go. Yep." She said, mostly talking to herself as she relayed perfectly the map she had looked at earlier. "Okay, Stuart Street, turn left, Freya Crescent, so the man hole should be." She looked up and spotted it. "Excellent." She lead the way down the drain after picking the padlock on the sewer that was there to stop people from getting in and transgenics from getting out. The sector police and Seattle government seemed to believe a tiny padlock would prevent the superhuman transgenics from getting out. But, the transgenics didn't really want to leave, so the padlocks had stayed in place.  
  
They found themselves in a dank, sweaty smelling sewer with mushy, sloozy walls and water dripping from a million cracks and tiny crevices in the walls. Jondy took a cautious step forward, then immediately stopped and did a hand signal to Lex and Scott telling them to stop to. After a minute, she continued walking on, but more cautiously this time.  
  
"What was that, Zoggs?" Lexy whispered, walking faster to catch up with Jondy as Scott looked around in fascination.  
  
"I though I heard something. I'm sure it was just a loose tap or something though." Jondy lied. But if it was something, it would more than likely be a transgenic and that didn't matter. She was one of them too. She looked around and wrinkled her nose in disgust.  
  
"They should clean these." Lexy joked, noticing the look on Jondy's face. Jondy smiled, trying to comfort Lexy but she was much too worried about Max's reaction to really pay any attention right now.  
  
"Hey, um, Dee, how are we gonna be able to handle the poisonous toxins in there?" Scott asked, bringing to attention what they had failed to see. Jondy gave him her full attention. She almost kicked herself, but then had the answer one second after thinking about it.  
  
"Blood transfusions. You guys can go home, if you wanna leave or something or I'll transfuse you with my blood." Jondy said, trying not to show how sad she would be if they took the easy way out and bailed.  
  
"I'd rather stay." Lexy said, smiling at Jondy, who smiled back, touched by her friend's kindness.  
  
"Yeah. Ditto." Scott nodded and Jondy gave him a gentle smile to let him know how much she appreciated it.  
  
"But any sign of you guys being sick and you're outta there. Got it?" Jondy asked, suddenly becoming a 'tough girl' again.  
  
"Cross my heart." Lexy imitated.  
  
*****  
  
They finally reached the Terminal City perimeter and were now unofficially inside Terminal City. Almost at once, with Jondy's enhanced hearing, she picked up voices coming from the opposite end of the tunnel.  
  
"Quick, guys, here." She hissed quietly, hiding them in the shadows. The voices were getting louder now, but still not loud enough for Lexy or Scott to be able to hear.  
  
"I heard them back this way." The voice was saying. It was joined by another.  
  
"Let's hope it's not damn ordinaries again. One more of em' and I'll snap their neck." She heard a gruff voice say and felt Lexy shiver next to her. Jondy breathed a soft sigh of relief as she heard them turn down an adjacent tunnel and then waited to be out of their hearing range before continuing on.  
  
"I'm sure they weren't serious, Lexy." She said apologetically.  
  
"It's okay. It was just a little creepy, that's all. But I know some of them haven't been out in the world that long. Not like my Zoggs!" Jondy screeched as Lexy picked her up from behind in a tight hug. Lexy giggled and Jondy wanted to giggle to, but she didn't know how.  
  
"Hate to interrupt the girly moment, but I have a feeling Dee is anxious to see her sis so let's get movin'." Scott urged.  
  
"Whatever, Scooter." Lexy mocked.  
  
"He's right. Best to keep going before they come back." Jondy said quietly. When she wasn't in a public place, she could get VERY quiet and withdrawn. Except when she was with Lexy and Scott, but she had always been quiet and serious as a child, and only loud and outgoing around Max, who had also always been very quiet, except when she was mad or around Jondy. Jondy laughed silently at the memories. 'Now if only all the good memories weren't overshadowed by the bad ones.' She thought.  
  
*****  
  
The trio from San Francisco walked slowly toward the command centre in Terminal City. So far they had passed 3 other transgenics but only one had asked who they were and Jondy had just said 'New arrivals' and showed the girl her barcode. Nobody else even bothered to look their way, there was far too much going on. Jondy breathed a deep sigh. She was getting anxious and not knowing where Max was along with the constant worrying that her sister wouldn't accept her was taking it's toll. She had waited so long to be able to see her sister again and she only had one chance. Jondy had seen nothing of Max except news broadcasts since they had left each other. She had thought Max was dead. What if Max was mad at Jondy for leaving her? What would happen then? Jondy would go back, sad and defeated. Probably. Jondy had been so scared when she had heard the Delta team that she had freaked out and ran. She thought Max was dead under the ice, or at least going to drown with no way to get out. There had been a couple of times she felt scared or lonely for no reason, and thought maybe it was Maxie tuning into her wavelength but she'd immediately dismissed the thought when she thought of how she had left Max. Alone, scared, dying. Well she had thought Max had been dying, anyway. The freezing cold ice was enough to kill any X5. Then again, Max had always been different. Not strange different, special different. She never said much out of turn but she was always watching people, as though she knew she was different from them. Jondy knew, it was the same look she had on her own face at least once a day, when she thought of Manticore. They had escaped the compound, but Manticore was always behind them, only a few steps and reminding them that they were different with every genetically enhanced step they took. Every genetically enhanced breath. Every genetically enhanced memory.  
  
"Which way, Dee?" Scott asked fondly, breaking Jondy out of her train of thought.  
  
She looked up to the sign that Scott was pointing to. It had arrows pointing to the barracks, apartments, control centre, infirmary, monument, recreation hall, offices and kitchen.  
  
"Uhh," Jondy wondered. Where would Max be? It hit her in an instant. Exactly where Jondy would be, in a situation like this. "Control centre."  
  
*****  
  
"Is this sister of yours hot, Dee?" Scott asked cheekily.  
  
"We drove across two states and all you're concerned about is picking up chicks?" His sister asked disgustedly.  
  
"I was only joking." He said in a small voice.  
  
"Yeah, she is." Jondy answered distractedly. "Pretty, I mean." She added when they both looked at her in confusion.  
  
"Are you okay, sweetie? He asked that question a while ago."  
  
"Well I was thinking about it cos I couldn't remember what her picture looked like." Jondy lied convincingly.  
  
"Oh." Lexy believed, nodding her head.  
  
Scott gave her a funny look, but didn't press it.  
  
"So, control centre. That's that building way over there, isn't it?" Lexy asked, already knowing that the answer would be affirmative. Just her luck. She knew she shouldn't have bother packing four pairs of jeans. It was killing her shoulders,  
  
"Here." Jondy said, lifting a bag off Lexy's shoulders and adding it to her own.  
  
"Thanks," Lexy replied, touched. "Hey guys, or Zoggsie Woggsie and Scooter- Boy, can we sing a song?"  
  
"A song?" Scott looked disbelievingly at his sister.  
  
"Why sing a song?" Jondy asked, stopping to look back at Lexy.  
  
"I thought maybe it would lift the mood." Lexy answered looking at their faces. "Maybe not."  
  
"You scared, Dee?" Scott asked, reading her face as she continued forward boldly, trying not to show it.  
  
Jondy turned around, smiling bravely. The smile was too wide and Scott knew in an instant that she was just putting it on. "Scared? Me? Course not!" She answered as though the question were crazy.  
  
"Okay." He said disbelievingly.  
  
"Scooter! I'm fine, really. . . . Okay I'm scared to death!" Jondy exclaimed, dumping her bags on the cement paving and wringing her hands as she collapsed on the pavement. "I'm really freaking out, I mean, what if she hates me? Or wants to kill me?"  
  
"That's insane, Dee. You know it is! You're just saying that so you can be afraid and you'll go and you won't have to face her."  
  
"Why would I do that?"  
  
"I dunno. Some deep psychcological thing I guess."  
  
"You know he's right. But we're right here with ya, Zoggs. We won't go anywhere, no matter how scared or weird or troubled you get." Lexy promised.  
  
"Really?" Jondy looked up at her best friends sitting on the floor next to her, her face tear stained. She laughed softly. "Geez I'm hopeless. I just miss my baby sister, that's all. Manticore made us to be strong physically, but emotionally I am not."  
  
"I don't believe that." Scott told her gently. "Everything you've been through and done! The time when Catch pulled out that gun, when we'd only just met him, y'know, and we were all freakin' out, and you just looked him calmly in the eye and told him to put it down. And then he didn't, so you grabbed it off him and he just started crying. It was the first time I'd ever seen him cry. He's such a tough guy! Black belt in karate for crying out loud! But you just sat with him. We were all to scared to go near him, and he just cried on your shoulder. The three of us were scared of him for weeks, you were the only one that would go near him, it was like we were emotionally scarred or something. And then you convinced us all to give him a chance, he'd change. And we did. And he did. And he's turned out to be our best friend, and Onie's husband! We never would have known what a great person he was had you not been there. And Dione would definitely thank you, had she had the chance. She'd know Catch for years and the gun thing freaked out her too! But you stood by him, stood strong for him. You're amazing Jondy, all the things you get past. Everything you take in your stride. You can do this too."  
  
Lexy nodded seriously. "That entire thing is true, Jondy! You don't realise how strong you are, but you're the bricks in our friendship. The rest of us are crazy and we freak out daily and you're there to hold us together. You've always been there for me. So I'm gonna be there for you. You're strong as hell, even stronger, and if this scares you, there's no doubt what it would do to me! Max would be proud for you to be her big sister, I bet. No get on up and see that sister of yours I've heard so much about!"  
  
Jondy pulled both of her friends to her gratefully. "Thanks you guys. I'd be so lost without you both. Hell I'd probably just run home." The threesome stood up after pulling away, gathering up their bags and things.  
  
"So let's go." Lexy directed. Jondy bravely held her head high and mentally prepared herself to face her worst fear. One of her only fears. 'Please don't hate me Maxie.' She begged silently.  
  
*****  
  
Jondy, Lexy and Scott walked steadily down a corridor leading to the command centre. They could hear the hustle and bustle of dozens of transgenics moving around inside. Jondy, who had been trailing behind, lead the way through the doorway after Scott and Lexy stopped and pointedly looked at the doorway. It was a large, almost circular building with a small stage like platform at one end, with 2 steps leading up to it. Another staircase lead up to a long catwalk and a hallway of what Jondy guessed to be offices. There were about 6 doors off each room, and it had tall, grey ceilings. There were numerous t.v monitors placed at a position in the room and about a dozen transgenics stood around it cheering. There was a pool table and a long bar with some patrons sitting at it. One the platform was about 16 computer monitors and small t.v screens with camera footage and a few transgenics either sitting or standing in front of them. They were all walking very fast, and Jondy wouldn't have been surprised if there were at least one hundred in this room alone, all walking someplace or talking loudly. She inhaled deeply as she spotted one of the transgenics leaning over a man in front of a computer monitor. It was Max, talking seriously with the guy in front of the computer, while numerous transgenics tried to get her attention about unimportant matters that she was too busy to deal with. The guy at the computer, he was the one who had helped with the Jam Pony hostage crisis, and Jondy guessed him to be Max's boyfriend by the way he was staring intently at her as she talked, running her fingers over the keyboard. Max suddenly stood up straight, and although she had her back to Jondy, Jondy could tell Max was watching the guy the way he had watched her as he typed animatedly while she watched. As though she could sense someone was watching her in the midst, Max ignored all the people still yelling for her help and turned with a confused look on her face. She scanned the crowd, eyes landing on Jondy almost immediately and she screwed up her face in concentration for a second before splitting into a large grin.  
  
"Jondy!" She yelled, causing the guy at the computer to turn around, as well the few transgenics that had been trying to get her attention, but all the other 'freaks' seemed to be too caught up in what they were doing to notice Max run down the stairs to the pillar Jondy was standing in front of. Jondy stood watching awkwardly as Max ran to her, smiling widely and making her way around the roving transgenics. Jondy gasped as Max engulfed her in a huge hug and Jondy numbly hugged her fiercely back.  
  
"Hey." Max greeted her, as they pulled apart.  
  
"Hi." Jondy said, smiling shyly.  
  
"What are you doing here? It's great to see you, god, I can't stop smiling!" Max laughed embarrassingly. "I actually haven't smiled this much since, never."  
  
Jondy smiled back, gripping Max's hand tightly and turned to Scott and Lexy. "Max, this is Scott and Lexy. Scott, Lexy, this is Maxie."  
  
Max feigned irritation. "It's Max." She told Scott and Lexy shortly, and greeted them with a "hey."  
  
"Okay, Jondy this is my good friend Logan." Max told Jondy as Jondy turned to see the computer guy, now named Logan, walk toward them.  
  
"It's nice to meet you." Jondy smiled lightly.  
  
"Yes it is." Logan agreed smiling back, focusing his eyes on Max as she smiled angelically.  
  
"So, Dee, this is your baby sister, huh?" Scott asked, coming up behind Jondy and throwing his arm over her shoulder casually, like he already had around his sister's.  
  
"Yep. This is Maxie." Jondy said proudly. "So who's this Logan? Roommate? Random guy? Boyfriend?" She completed coyly.  
  
"Not exactly." Logan answered, glancing awkwardly at Max who had lost the smile and was standing there nervously.  
  
"So, Jondy, what have you been up to? Still live in San Francisco?" Max asked, abruptly changing the subject and moving on from the awkward silence that had engulfed the small group. Before Jondy could answer, a large man and a toned guy walked over.  
  
"Ohmygod! Ben!" Jondy yelled happily, throwing herself at the toned guy. "I had no idea you were here! How are you?"  
  
'Ben' rubbed his hands up and down Jondy's back smiling flirtatiously until she pulled away, a little confused.  
  
"Get away from her!" Max said to Jondy's confusion, pushing away Ben. "This is NOT Ben. This, filthy creature here, is Alec. Alec, meet my SISTER Jondy." Max said in disgust, impatiently looking away from Alec. Jondy looked to see Logan had also looked away awkwardly, as though he were pissed off.  
  
"Clone of Ben." The tall man explained in a gruff voice, and Jondy saw he was an anomalie. She nodded, a little scared of him and turned back to Max.  
  
"This is Joshua." Max said, gesturing to the man with an obvious canine looking face who smiled sweetly but shyly.  
  
"Joshua." He said proudly, sticking out his hand.  
  
"Jondy." She smiled, making the same gesture and he shook her hand excitedly.  
  
"Uh, Max, we have a situation." Alec said, realising he'd worn out his welcome.  
  
"What?" Max spat, causing Logan to look up in interest. Jondy turned to see Lexy and Scott had backed away from the dog man, but not obviously as to offend him.  
  
"He won't hurt you." Jondy said, moving to join them as Alec explained the situation to Max and Logan.  
  
"Um, okay." Lexy said, smiling only with her mouth as though she highly doubted Jondy's words.  
  
"Jondy?" Max asked coming over to join the trio. "Sorry." Max apologised to Lexy and Scott. "I gotta bounce. Some idiot's found a way in under a loose fence, charging people money to come in. I gotta go take care of it." Max said apologetically.  
  
Jondy nodded in understanding and Max quickly exited with Alec and Joshua, who had rounded up about 5 other transgenics. "You guys fine?" Jondy asked.  
  
"Yeah. Everything's cool." Scott told her, looking around, a little afraid of all the anomalies.  
  
"They won't hurt you! Now, uh dude," Jondy said, grabbing a young X6 by the shirt and pulling him to her. "Could you please show these two to a spare room? /Maybe you guys wanna freshen up or something? I'll be right here." Scott and Lexy nodded and took their gear and Jondy's with the X6, out of one of the side doors of the command centre. Jondy finally allowed herself a breather. It was fast paced here. And loud. But meeting Max had definitely gone better than she'd hoped, even imagined. Max wasn't resentful of Jondy at all. All she was, was happy to see her. Jondy grinned. Things were turning out okay. And the smile that had lit up Maxie's face when she saw Jondy was worth all the maltesers in the world. Jondy looked up thoughtfully as she spotted Logan watching her, then he turned back to the computer screen. She made her way up to the platform.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey." He said, not moving his eyes off the screen as he continued to type as fast as a formula one racer.  
  
"So, you like Max, huh?" She now had Logan's full attention. For a second anyway.  
  
"What gives you that idea?" He asked casually, trying not to show the flicker of interest Jondy could see in his eyes as he typed furiously.  
  
"Umm, how about you can't keep your eyes off her. You're not a transgenic and yet you're here, in the midst of a huge nuclear spill that is completely sacrificing your life, you're Eyes Only and when she died you were totally seeking your vengeance from Manticore, making furious hacks and so forth." Jondy said quietly.  
  
"How did you know that?" Logan asked, looking up at Jondy.  
  
"I'm Jondy. I see all, I hear all." Jondy smiled lightly. "And your eyes are very defined. When I saw your eyes I thought of Eyes Only. Then I noticed how at home you seemed on computers, and I came to the conclusion a long time a go that Eyes Only would be using computers for his hacks."  
  
"But how did you know Max had died?"  
  
"Syl told me. A few of us actually DID keep in contact after the escape but we were careful not to tell Zack because then he'd tear us apart again. He wouldn't let us se each other. But what he didn't know was that Zane was trailing him, very distantly so as not to alert him, but Zane also knew where very one of us was. Zane's clever like that. He's an excellent tracker." Jondy trailed off, a faraway look coming into her eyes.  
  
Logan looked up at her sadly. She reminded him so much of Max. But without the tomboy exterior. It was all there, the seriousness, sarcasm, playfulness among the guarded front.  
  
"So you're here to help her." Logan guessed. Helping out was what Max would do for her family in the same situation. Sometimes it scared him when he realised how well he knew Max. Knew what she would do in any situation, knew how she'd react and he knew how she thought. What escape route she would take, which guards she would take the time to fight and which ones she'd simply pass by.  
  
Jondy stared carefully at Logan. He seemed pretty complex, but she decided she would like trying to figure him out. It would be fun, finding out what secrets about himself and her sister he contained deep inside.  
  
"So what was it that Max had to go do?" Jondy asked.  
  
"Just a minor situation. Few people trying to push the gate down. But if they succeed things can get pretty messy."  
  
"Why aren't the National Guards or Sector Police stopping them?"  
  
"Distracted. People've found a transgenic and cornered her. The Sector Cops and National Guards are trying to contain that situation, but they've left the fence unprotected. The team has to go out, save the X6 cornered, and then bring the attention back to the fence so that the authorities will notice, and then they have to sneak back inside."  
  
"Can't they just use the sewers again?"  
  
"the sewers are a good option, our strongest. But we can't draw attention to the sewers. Then we'll have to keep jumping the fence and they're be no way to get humans in and out."  
  
"Like you. . .?"  
  
"I can jump the fence. It's Max's friends that need some aid in that area. Mole keeps trying to get them out, saying he doesn't want any 'ordinaries' inside the boundaries, but having Original Cindy and Sketchy here help keep Max sane. She can hang out with them for a while after a long days work, and though it isn't really the same, it's comfort to her." Logan detailed.  
  
Jondy nodded. She liked this guy. He was okay. "I'm gonna go find my friends." She told him, walking away to leave him thinking about what he'd just said.  
  
*****  
  
Will, the young X6 who had taken Lexy and Scott to the sleeping barracks, closed the door behind him as they looked around at the small room with 2 bunk beds, a small desk, and a bathroom through a door at the end. There was a large skylight, seeing as their room was on the fifth story of a five- story building, and another window next to the door of which they'd just entered.  
  
"Pretty nice." Scott, looking around interestedly. "Not exactly home sweet home, but pretty damn good for temporary residence."  
  
"I agree with you on that. Okay, so Jondy and I will take the bottom bunks and you can have a top bunk."  
  
"How about we push the two bunks together and I get the two top bunks, y'know, make a double bed. Then you little girls can chit chat all night on the bottom bunks."  
  
"We don't chitchat!" Lexy began indignantly. "And that's a good idea. Gives us more floor space too. Good thinking Scooter." She ruffled his hair playfully and moved to push one bunk against the other. "Hello? A little help here." She asked when Scott didn't move to help her. He sighed resignedly and they pushed the bunk against the other. Scott immediately pushed his bag onto the top bunk and climbed up after it, rummaging through for some food.  
  
"So what were you and Zoggs talking about when I was asleep?" Lexy asked interestedly. She had noticed sparks between her brother and best friend a few months ago, though both seemed ignorant to them, and Lexy was wondering if either one of them had acted on them yet.  
  
"Nuttin much. Crap all, really." Scott replied nonchalantly.  
  
"You guys get it on?" She asked with a grin.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I know you like her. Which is why my mind is screwed as to why you still sleep with other people when it's obvious you like her!"  
  
"Why do you think I like Jondy?"  
  
"I'm your sister."  
  
"Fair enough. Does she know I like her?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Thank god."  
  
"Why, 'thank god?"  
  
"Um, gee, sis, maybe cos' she doesn't like me. How humiliating for me! Scott likes Jondy, Jondy doesn't like Scott!" Scott scoffed sarcastically.  
  
"Why wouldn't she like you?"  
  
"Um, I'm one of her best friends! I sleep with a LOT of girls and don't call them, she knows the REAL me! If that ain't enough to scare her away, there's the fact I can't commit, she's FAR too good for me, she has class, elegance, she's drop dead gorgeous and totally oblivious to that fact! She can dance! She favours sweet, nice guys who have a factor of cuteness but don't go around strutting their stuff. But then again, they're always jerks who don't know what they've got and ditch her for their jobs. She's a great friend, good-hearted, can quote practically anything from the dictionary, she doesn't give u on people no matter what, she's been hurt so many times and I do NOT want to add to that. Maybe the fact that she can tie her shoes! I don't know, Lex, maybe I just don't want to ruin our friendship."  
  
"That's bullshit! You're scared of being rejected for once! You're always the rejecter, and you're shit scared she'll reject you!" Lexy yelled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's it, isn't it! You know she's too good for you, but you're a damn good person too and exactly the guy she needs! You might not commit with other people, but if you were with Jondy you'd give her your whole heart! You'd be stable, and you ARE sweet with a factor of cuteness! You wouldn't dare hurt her; you know that she's the perfect girl for you. But you're feeling insecure about her and you NEVER feel insecure. That's what scares you! Why can't you just suck up your pride for once and ask her out on date?"  
  
"I don't know, why don't you?" Scott yelled back, running his fingers through his hair complicatedly. His sister's lecture had given him a LOT to think about.  
  
"I'm gonna go for a walk. Give you some time to think." She told him rationally.  
  
He nodded. As she reached the door she turned back to him  
  
"Scott?"  
  
"Yeah?" Call if you need anything.  
  
"Okay. . . . And thanks."  
Review for fun. I LIKE reviews. . . . Please. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Dark Angel is property of it's owner, who is not me, so Dark Angel's owner (not me) can't sue me as I have clearly demonstrated that Dark Angel (property of it's owner) belongs to it's own, and not me (the non-owner). I am not the owner of Dark Angel. *Summary of Disclaimer ~ Jayme doesn't own Dark Angel, it's owner (not me) does. . . .*  
  
Author's Note~~~ I saw the Matrix Reloaded today so I'm up for some big action scenes! I can't promise any though.  
  
A/N~~~ Thankyou to everyone's who's read and everyone who's reviewed. It's glad to know that some people actually read what I post.  
  
A/N~~~ Okay, does ANYONE know whether Blink 182 (such an awesome band) is pronounced *Blink one-eight-two* or. . . . . . * Blink one-eighty-two*!!! I hear both pronunciations too much, I'm not sure whether anyone knows the real band name! *Anyone meaning me* Review if you would like to tell me the name, of the afore mentioned band!!!!! (And if you want me to write more, or if it sucks and you would love to defenestrate me).  
  
Thick N Thin  
  
Scott paced the room, his heart beating anxiously. He wasn't sure how he'd survived the ego bashing his sister had given him previously. However he had, it had given his brain more activeness than it had been in a while, and his brain was always thinking a million thoughts a minute. He sat down heavily on the bottom bunk, head buried in his hands as deep thoughts, desires and impulses flooded through his body. He had so many decisions to make, and absolutely no idea how to make them, or where to start.  
  
*****  
  
Jondy's long blonde hair whipped across her shoulders as the evening wind blew thickly, enveloping her disgruntled figure, making it's way across a path of bitumen, leading toward sleeping barracks A3. She shivered slightly, not used to the freeing Seattle winds in comparison to the sunny Californian backdrop she was used to. She smiled, feeling the wind and soft raindrops on her hair, loving the feeling of nature and the serenity she felt. She loved the howl of wind, the pitter patter rain made on surfaces as it dropped, the way they combined for all-out storms, rain blowing wickedly in sheets across the roads and pelting hard on roofs, a gentle lullaby only Jondy heard as she sang along, her own personal melody.  
  
She loved how rain made the world's appearance so different. Not better or worse, but different. It was a difference she liked, and in Californian winters, she always begged for the rain to never end. It was so soothing, reminding her of the many nights she and Maxie had stayed up, holding each other's hands and sitting on the window ledge as the rain splattered across the windows of the large Manticore buildings.  
  
She remembered her first kiss with a boy, Shane, in the rain. She had liked Shane a lot, he was caring, smart, welcoming. But she had only been 14, while he was 19 and there were many things he did that she wasn't ready to do yet. She experimented with him, but he had a habit of pushing her further than she wanted to go, and so she moved on. Left the state. She had been planning to leave Montana for a while anyway, Zack had been pressuring her and so she left him, with a note explaining she would always like him, but he expected her to be so mature, sexually, while she was only that mature intellectually. And physically. Jondy had detested her looks, even as a thirteen year old men looked upon her hungrily, as though her lean figure, small hips and developed bosom were some exotic candy they wished to taste. She had been out with many guys in her life, she yearned to find someone who's tastes and ideas were similar to her's, but she always tired of them. They were all so shallow, only after what she didn't want to give them. She wanted a conversation, a smile, a shared dream. Shane had started off like that, but as soon as they had talked, long, endless conversations, he had realised how mature she had been and figured he may as well sleep with her, she ought to be good, but she had refused defiantly. It wasn't that Jondy had anything against sex, it was that sex seemed to be so intricately involved with everything only skin-deep, like beauty and sweetness.  
  
She had learned many things at Manticore, but one of the things that had hit her hard was that truth was not always appearance. Appearance was deceiving in so many ways. Jondy's appearance was deceiving. She looked so sweet and harmless, as did all her siblings, but they had done things unimaginable, that made Jondy's stomach curl when she thought of them. And take the anomalies in the basement. The X5's had been trained to be scared of the anomalies, they were dangerous, a threat and must be terminated. They were ugly, and therefore disgusting, should be killed. But they had nothing in common to their appearances, sure, maybe a couple of them WERE gruff, angry, murderous, but that was only due to the treatment given at Manticore, due to their looks. Jondy thought of the sweet dog man called Joshua. He seemed alright. He admired Max, and Max felt the same about him, s though he was another long-lost sibling of hers. In a way, Jondy supposed they were related. As related as she was to her siblings anyway. Maybe not as much, but equally by blood. She smiled, thinking of Joshua and hoping she would get to know the man inside the mask, whom her sister seemed to be so fond of. Jondy looked up at the grey sky, turning inevitably black with each passing second that she stared at it. She grinned as thunder rumbled, high above her. It sounded beautiful. So peaceful. She turned sharply as she heard her name being called, and saw Lexy coming towards her.  
  
"Hey." Jondy greeted her. "I was just looking for you and Scott."  
  
"Uh, you don't wanna go see Scoot. He's in a bad mood since I pointed out the obvious."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"Personal."  
  
"Right. . ." Jondy said troubled, but decided not to push it. If he wanted to, Scott would tell her later.  
  
"So what've you been doing? I was actually gonna go find me some hot young stud, like the juicy Alec I wasn't formally introduced to." Lexy pouted.  
  
"If I see him, I'll introduce you." Jondy promised. "He seems okay. For you." She smirked. "Max doesn't seem to like him too much though." She added puzzled. Maybe it was because he resembled Ben. 'Or maybe he's a jerk' Jondy thought, thinking of how he'd come onto her when she gave him a hug. 'Truth isn't always appearance, Jon.' She told herself, promising to get to know him before she judged him. "He reminds me so much of my big brother though. It's strange, seeing your brother walking around, and then realising it's not your brother, this guy has a totally different personality."  
  
"Sorry, no idea what you mean." Lexy commiserated.  
  
"Thanks." Jondy said, lifting one corner of her mouth in a smile. She took in a deep breath of the windy air. "Mmmm, smell the rain!"  
  
"Um, no thanks." Lexy laughed. She suddenly turned serious. "Jondy?"  
  
"Mmm-hmm." She answered distractedly, staring up at the rain clouds as they trickled rain softly.  
  
"Would you ever be interested in my brother?"  
  
"What?" Jondy snapped her head to Lexy.  
  
"It was just a question."  
  
"From where?"  
  
"My brain. . . "  
  
"I don't know. Should I be?" Jondy answered cryptically.  
  
"I don't know. Hey! I'm supposed to be asking you the hard question here."  
  
"What's so hard about asking if I'd go out with your brother, or if I should go out with your brother?"  
  
"Would you?" Lexy pressed. She could see Jondy was trying to get off the subject desperately, and it was almost working. But Jondy trying to change the subject could only mean one thing. The answer was affirmative.  
  
"I don't know." Jondy said.  
  
"Yes you do, now tell me. I won't tell him."  
  
"I don't know, maybe. . . I guess."  
  
"So you'd be attracted to his type?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He believes you're too good for him."  
  
"What? He thinks about me like that? Get real, Lex."  
  
"Well why wouldn't he?"  
  
"He's like. . . he's my buddy." Jondy answered softly.  
  
"What if he likes you more than that?"  
  
"I don't know, it's confusing! I mean, if I did go out with him, what if he became bored of me? We could never be as good of friends as we were before! And, I'm a transgenic! Doesn't that disgust him? Why would he want to bed a transgenic?"  
  
"Wow! Who said anything about bedding, and where did the 'Ew! A transgenic!' come from?"  
  
"T.V. Everyone hates transgenics."  
  
"Everyone meaning stupid people not worth listening to!"  
  
"It's different, Lex! You aren't a transgenic, it's harder. People think I should be killed, because I wasn't naturally conceived!"  
  
"People are sheep, Dee. They follow what they hear a person of power say! If everyone had their own thoughts the world would be a reckless abandon."  
  
"The world IS a reckless abandon."  
  
"Okay, a WORSE reckless abandon. You're crazy if you think Scott would never like you in that way."  
  
"Okay then, I'm crazy."  
  
"Zoggs!"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why so negative? You're always negative! And for no reason. I thought after believing your sister was gonna hate you, and then finding she didn't would of made you stop seeing things so negatively!"  
  
"I don't see everything negatively!"  
  
"Well a hell of a lot of it!"  
  
"How does that have to do with Scott?"  
  
"Well, don't close your mind to the idea that he might like you, okay? You might be surprised."  
  
Jondy sat down on the bitumen, legs crossed and propped her chin in her hands. "Fine, whatever."  
  
"Good."  
  
So. . . . how was that? Do you want me to continue? Please feedback, I'm not sure how to continue, ideas are welcome, and I don't know if people are interested and I should continue! 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Can be found on previous chapters, unless you insist, in which case Dark Angel does not belong to me, although the gorgeous Scooter is mine, all mine! As are Lexy, Catch and Dione.  
  
Thick N Thin  
  
Previously. . . . Scott admitted her liked Jondy. Scott thought it impossible Jondy would ever like him. Lexy yelled at him. Jondy sat in the rain. She didn't admit she liked Scott but she MAY be attracted to his type, that's all she'd tell me, however she knows he likes her. Max, Alec and Joshua ran off to go fix a problem with stoopid ordinaries being mean while Jondy didn't go so she could get settled in, and Logan did some computer stuff. Now you're all up to date.  
  
A/N~~~ Thankyou to Nitemare for the particularly inspirational review! (  
  
A/N~~~ Okay, this chapter may (DOES) contain some fight scenes, as requested! ( I can't help the fight scenes, sorry, they were Matrix Reloaded: Flight of the Osiris inspired, as I saw that (AGAIN) today. Gotta love it, I'm soo gonna see it again at the movies. Or maybe I'll wait til' it comes out of video. Meh.  
  
*****  
  
Alec, Joshua, Glen, Ike and Dane crowded around Max as they listened to her plan.  
  
"Okay, Mole's team are going to attempt to bring the National Guard's attention back to those annoying people trying to bring down our fence, on my signal. We have to go out there, get the girl while dodging bullets from people AND the national guard. Remember, we're under strict order not to go out there, even if one of our own has been caught. So the sector cops and the guards are gladly gonna try to take us out. Kapische?"  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
"Okay, Alec and Dane, I need you guys to work your way into the crowd surrounding the X6, try to create havoc, y'know, attention seek, exactly what Ake'c good at." She teased, smiling at Alec.  
  
He threw up his hands in mock defeat. Max looked back to the others, retuning serious to get the job done.  
  
"Ike and Glen, you guys are quick and agile, and responsible for for annoying the authorities long enough for them to shoot at you, which you dodge, and give Joshua and I enough time to get the girl. Aiight?"  
  
They nodded again, helping each other over the fence with silent jumps and movements, working as a stealth team. Once over the fence, they split up into their three assigned partners, Joshua and Max moving to the top of a close building, hooking up an abseiling cord and clipping it to their belts. Alec and Dane moved around the front, near to where people were crowding with the X6 and Ike and Glen took their positions behind the sector police.  
  
Max signalled the okay as Glen and Ike barged through the sector cops, taking them out one by one, starting at the back. The sector cops began to realise what was happening and one turned around and almost clocked Ike, but fortunatley he predicted it and blocked in time. He ducked and sent the cop spinning with a flying roundhouse kick to the pelvis, and another one to the po-po next to him. Glen, wasn't having as much luck. He was bleeding from the lip, but steadily taking on three at a time, ducking and dodging them like no one ever had. Alec and Dane had already noticed the distraction and were working on distracting the crowd, who had surrounded the young X6 and were pointing and jeering at her.  
  
"Hey, I have an idea with what to do to this one!" Alec yelled loudly and a few interested people turned to look.  
  
"Yeah!" Dane joined in. "Do we have any helpful volunteers to show the freaks how much we don't like em'?" He yelled, getting ihnto character. More people truned around and about a dozen put their hands into the air, cheering.  
  
"Anyone got any ideas? Come on, who hates the freaks?" Alec yelled, causing the entire crowd into applause.  
  
*****  
  
Joshua watched sadly from the roof as Max pulled on a harness, identical to the one Joshua was sporting and clipping it on to the cable she had rigged to one of the smaller buildings inside Terminal City.  
  
"You okay Josh?" She asked concerned.  
  
"People. Cruel. To us, the freaks." He looked at her sadly.  
  
Max felt her heart go out to him. "Yeah, they are. But we can't really change that. Instead we have to stand strong, and not back down. Only guilty people back down. And we aren't guilty of anything. They think they're so great, the 'ordinairies', but, they kill each other! They torture their kind, and us transgenics never hurt each other, except if we've got some kind of bet, y'know?"  
  
Joshua nodded. "But, Logan. Logan's, nice?"  
  
Max smiled. "Yeah. Logan's one of the few good ones."  
  
"Why do they hurt each other?"  
  
"The ordinairies? The humans? I dunno. Scared I guess. Don't think about it too much big fella, it'll just give you a headache." She patted his back comfortingly. "Let's go. Alec and Dane are doing a good job with the crowd, but the few at the front are still keeping their eyes on our friend. We'll have to dodge em. You up for that?"  
  
"Joshua, up for anything!" He told her proudly, breaking into an infectious grin.  
  
"Let's go then."  
  
Max clipped their harnesses onto the cable and held tightly felt Joshua's arms wrap around her. They pulled their feet off the ground, testing the ropes. It barely moved at all, and Max silently thanked Logan for being able to find the best high tension rope in the city. Max gave Joshua the 'okay' nod and they jumped off the dge together, parasailing into the crowd as a few people screamed, and the last four sector police that were standing shot at them, before their guns were kicked out of their hands.  
  
"Okay, we only have one chance to do this!" Max yelled, as they reached the bottom and lifted their feet up so that the cable kept carrying them. As they reached the crowd, Max saw Alec and Dane had done a good job of moving the people back so that the path was clear. The X6 had obviously worked out what they were doing and was ready for them. As they reached the bottom, she ran to them and they three of them kept running as Max unhooked herself and Joshua held the X6, running and jumping about three metres before the compund fence so that had enough of a push-off to land the fence. Max helped Alec and Dane take out the rest of the crowd as she saw Mole and his team in the distance preventing the gate from being pushed down. She delivered a sliding heel puch to a scetor cop and neatly somersaulted over him so that she was behind him, where she kicked him from behind and then cleanly broke the nose of another sector cop before running and jumping the compound fence, leaving Alec to knee the last sector cop in the groin and he jumped over to join them as they ran as blurs to the cover of the buildings, where Joshua and the X6 awaited them. Max watched Mole's team disappearing back inside the compound and then nodded a thanks at Alec as they ran to catch up with the others, who had already reached the safety of the control center.  
  
*****  
  
Jondy looked up as Scott came walking towards her, slowly, as though not to disturb her in case she was asleep, for whatever reason she would be in the light Seattle rain.  
  
"Hey." He greeted, seeing her look up at him with the deep blue eyes that could tell if you were lying, the ones that looked into his soul, and could see his every thought, the ones that drove him crazy.  
  
She smiled, returning the greeting and patting the spot next to her, the one Lexy had vacated only a few minutes ago to leave Jondy in her thoughts.  
  
"So are you glad we came now?" Scott asked, looking up to meet her smiling eyes.  
  
"Definitely. Thanks for convincing me."  
  
"No problem." He smiled back, and she couldn't help but feel her heart flutter. "So how's your sister going?"  
  
"Well, an hour ago she was going good, so. . . yeah."  
  
"I guess it was good to see her again?"  
  
"You have no idea. Suddenly I just felt like everything was gonna be okay. And then of course Lexy came and had this long talk, and now I'm not so certain anymore."  
  
"Yeah, she does have that affect on people."  
  
Jondy grinned at him. He smiled back, poking her mouth affectionately with his finger.  
  
"Aha. There, there's that smile I haven't seen in ages. You're really pretty when you smile." He complimented.  
  
Jondy's cheeks became coloured as she blushed slightly. "Thanks. And in case you don't already hear it from your constant string of girls, you can be cute too, y'know sometimes."  
  
He frowned. "I'm not really like that, you know. I don't always constantly sleep with girls. I mean, sure, it's fun, but if I found one I actually cared about, I wouldn't dump her. I don't pursue women for sport, I'm looking for the right woman, and if that means I have to go through all the wrong ones to get to her, so be it."  
  
"I know." Jondy said seriously. "It's just something to tease you about." She added lightly.  
  
Scott smiled, hooking his arm roughly but affectionately around her neck and gave her a soft kiss on her shiny blonde hair. He stopped for a minute and smelt it, it melt like watermelon. He inhaled the smell, then quickly drew back as Jondy turned to face him, a surprised look on her face. His smiled faltered, but then he started smiling again as he replayed the last few seconds in his mind. Even the smell of her hair made him happy. He stood up and then reached out with his hands to pull her up, as she dusted dirt off the back of her green cargo pants. He ruffled her hair gently, still smiling at the thought and they walked comfortably inside, Jondy's head tucked into the nook of Scott's shoulder where he had his arm loosly around her. It wasn't a romantic gesture, that was the type of friends they were, affectionate.  
  
Once inside the command centre, they stood comfortably in the midst of chaos, as it was becoming familiar to Jondy. Organised chaos, but she wouldn't expect anything else from Maxie. They stood there, feeling totally at ease with each other, not noticing the smiles they were getting from each of their sister's, who knew how they really felt about each other.  
  
How was the action scene? Good, or too brief? Hope you liked it! R &R!! ( 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Dark Angel belongs to SIR James Cameron (I think he should be knighted by the queen for directing such a good t.v. show), and Charles Eglee and a whole lot of other people whose names I don't know. Meaning, Dark Angel doesn't belong to me.  
  
Thick And Thin  
  
Chapter 6  
  
As Max and Alexis both smiled lightly at the companionship of Jondy and Scott, they became aware of each other and Max caught Lexy's eyes, smiling a knowing smile. Max looked back to the two, wondering how they didn't realise they were being watched, Jondy normally completely picked up on these things. As Max was deep in thought, she didn't realise she herself was being watched.  
  
*****  
  
Logan watched Max, smiling gently as he watched her soft lips curl into a smile, and she grinned at Jondy's friend, he hadn't remembered her name. As he watched, Max remained oblivious to his eyes, searching every part of her face, taking into care every detail. It was one of his favourite pastimes, had been for over a year and a half, and he never tired of it. He wondered whether his obsession with Max could be classified as stalking, and he smiled at the though, but then dismissed it; he couldn't help it, he was in love, it wasn't like he followed her around or anything.  
  
His smile froze as she turned to look at him, her mouth open slightly. She licked her lips, and he felt himself unconsciously do the same. She was so radiant, the light flooded to her when she entered a room, it was impossible for him to take his eyes off her. He couldn't figure out how she remained so oblivious to the fact that she was beautiful. Max was such a great human being. She had a tough exterior, but she'd go to the ends of the earth for people she cared about. She was surprising, and ever so gorgeous, and when she looked at you with those deep brown eyes you couldn't help but feel drawn to her. It was like, Logan looked at her, love shining through his eyes, and he knew in his heart that she was feeling exactly the same. But his brain could never process it. His logic told him it would never happen. Still, he could dream.  
  
Logan forced an uncomfortable smile and watched disappointedly as she raised the corners of her mouth slightly, then turned away.  
  
*****  
  
'How is it that man can make your legs feel like jelly, your stomach turn upside down, and your entire body want to run to him and collapse into his arms?' Max asked herself disgustedly. She'd accepted that she couldn't be with Logan, and that was it. Or, at least she'd tried to accept that she couldn't be with Logan. He was off limits, she'd promised herself awhile ago to never step within two metres of the man. Of course that hadn't deterred Max from joining him for dinner on countless occasions, where they would sit quietly in front of an old fireplace in a lost library in Terminal City, rebuilding their friendship as Max tried helplessly not to get to close.  
  
Max glanced at Logan, forcing a smile, her mind being too distracted to include her eyes in the smile. She turned away, trying to remember what she'd been thinking about previously. Jondy. Her cute guy friend. Max smiled brightly as Jondy jogged over to her, embracing her tightly after a slight hesitation.  
  
"Hey." Max smiled.  
  
"Hiya Maxie. What's my lil' sis thinking about? She looks distracted."  
  
"Thinking about you, actually. Cute friend. Is he anything more?"  
  
"Than a friend? Scooter? Yeah, right."  
  
"It's so obvious you like him!" Max exclaimed teasingly as Jondy's eyes had wandered back to Scott talking easily to Alec and Joshua.  
  
Jondy's eyes snapped back to meet Max's. "It is?"  
  
"Only to me."  
  
Jondy breathed a sigh of relief. "Well we're just good friends anyway."  
  
"Haven't you watch T.V? All great couples are friends first!"  
  
"Well then, you and Logan are definitely soul mates, Maxie."  
  
Max set her jaw, hard. "Don't change the subject, Jonnie!"  
  
Jondy's mouth flew open in mock insult. "Rude!"  
  
Max shrugged. "Stop with the Maxie."  
  
"Can't sorry, it was drilled into my childhood." She smiled wryly at the pun.  
  
"Ha ha." Max replied dryly, clearly not amused.  
  
"Only telling the truth!" Jondy retorted.  
  
Max smiled weakly then slumped against the wall she had been leaning on and sank to the ground.  
  
"You okay? You look tired." Jondy asked comfortingly, kneeling protectively in front of her little sister.  
  
Max opened her mouth to reply.  
  
Jondy began talking before Max had a chance. "I get it. Logan. What's the deal with you two? You like him, he seems to like you."  
  
"Maybe I don't like Logan."  
  
"Maybe you won't admit that you do like Logan."  
  
"Maybe." Max sighed. "I feel like such a manipulative bitch when I'm around him. I feel like I played him."  
  
"That must suck." Jondy sympathised.  
  
"Yeah." Max agreed half-heartedly. She turned to look at Logan, watching him type furiously at the computer, his built-up muscles rippling gently through the tights shirt he was wearing. Max groaned, tilting her head on Jondy's shoulder.  
  
"Sup with you?"  
  
"I've screwed up."  
  
"No shit."  
  
"Serious. Even with the virus, there was still always the off chance that Logan and I could cure it, y'know? And then we'd be together. There was always the possibility. But I screwed that when I lied to him about Alec. Okay, so I didn't exactly lie, I mean, I just, didn't tell the whole truth." Max spoke unconvincingly to herself.  
  
"I am sooooo not gonna even pretend to know what you're talking about."  
  
"I dunno. It's just. . . Logan. . . "  
  
"He could do with some company. Go to him."  
  
"Logan? No? I can't, I'll kill him eventually."  
  
Jondy raised her eyebrows critically at Max, then sprung to a standing position, dusting herself off and walking away. Max stared after her for a minute. Somehow, even though she'd only been reunited with Jondy for a couple of hours, they had fallen into a comfortable pattern. It was as though since the other seemed to know what they were feeling, they didn't need to fill in the blanks or explain the absences. It didn't matter, they were together, as true as sisters could be and Max would be damned if anyone was gonna make her big sis go away. Jondy was here for three weeks, and they had plenty of time to catch up. The familiar bonding was enough, for now Max had to go talk to Logan.  
  
*****  
  
Alec strolled past the hot looking normal that Max's sister had brought in with her. He stopped on the other side, greeting her with a 'hey'.  
  
"Hey." Was the adamant reply. This one wasn't giving any leeway.  
  
"So, you're, uh, Jondy's friend?"  
  
"Looks like. Who're you?"  
  
"Alec, Max's frie- uh, acquaintance I guess."  
  
The girl nodded, chuckling at Alec's hasty change of the description of his and Max's relationship.  
  
"So, Alec, Max's acquaintance, you're Manticore?"  
  
"X5."  
  
"Yeah, same as Jondy, obviously."  
  
"Obviously."  
  
"So what do you do for fun around here?" Lexy asked, shooting Alec a sharp look.  
  
Alec gave her a look of mock insult. "We play pool." He said cheekily, leading her to the Rec Centre, not waiting for her to follow; he knew she would.  
  
Four short games later, Alec and Lexy were chatting much more companionably than they had been just an hour ago. The score was two games all, but in the midst of their jokes Lexy had playfully cheated, relishing victory of half of the games. Alec had good-sportingly played along, and he was glad to admit he was having a good time.  
  
"Haven't I seen you someplace before?" He asked, leaning against the table and pretending to hit on her as she broke, concentrating on not laughing.  
  
Lexy shot two balls in, wiggling her eyebrows provocatively at her new friend and matching his teasing with a 'Sure, that's why I don't go there any more!'  
  
Alec grinned and awaited his turn by buying them two glasses of beer from the resident transgenic bar.  
  
"Not bad-looking for a normal." He heard the bartender say and laughed. She may look sweet and innocent, but she could cheat like the devil. He stole the pool cue off of her gently, holding it up where she couldn't reach it, enjoying the soft torture as she jumped up and down impatiently, giggling as she tried unsuccessfully to pull it out of his grasp.  
  
"Come on then, you're getting bored. You can show me around." Lexy decided, grabbing the glasses of beer and stalking off as Alec chuckled and followed to catch up to her.  
  
*****  
  
Logan looked up, a mask of surprise on his face as Max sat awkwardly next to him.  
  
"Hey." She started breathlessly.  
  
"Hey yourself." He answered automatically. Logan took his eyes away from the computer screen and stole a glance at Max, just as she raised her head to meet his eyes with a sheepish smile. They both laughed uncomfortably. "So. Jondy's nice." He tilted his head to the side, a true Logan act, waiting for Max's answer.  
  
"Logan." She pleaded.  
  
"Don't, Max." His voice was soft.  
  
She nodded thoughtfully. "Thanks for your help, with the thing before."  
  
"It's okay. That's what I'm here for, right?" He turned in his chair and looked around at all the transgenics, trying to avoid Max's gaze.  
  
"No. That's not the only reason you're here. You're here cos."  
  
"Max!"  
  
They both turned sharply at the sound of Alec's voice.  
  
"Your boyfriend wants you." Logan attempted to sound nonchalant but the bitter edge to his voice gave him away.  
  
"About that, um."  
  
"Max!" This time it was more urgent.  
  
"I'm coming Alec!" She yelled sharply. Logan turned his head to her as she continued, not quite meeting his eyes the way he wasn't meeting hers. "I've gotta jet, y'know?"  
  
"Yeah. Yeah I do."  
  
Max quickly picked up her head, appearing indifferent. "Later." She called almost cheerfully over her shoulder.  
  
*****  
  
"What is it Alec?"  
  
"We're outta carrot. The mess hall needs some more supplies."  
  
"You called me away from Logan to tell me we're out of carrot!" Max yelled, her voice getting higher with each word until she was screeching the last word.  
  
"I like carrot!" Alec complained, almost offended.  
  
"Ugh! Next time, make sure it's serious Alec!"  
  
Max turned on her heel, walking back to where Logan had been, but was now nowhere to be seen. She craned her head, looking for him anywhere, but he had disappeared from her sight. Max sighed, and walked out of the command centre to go looking for him.  
  
*****  
  
"Logan!" He heard a call and looked back as he saw Jondy jogging lightly toward him. "Did you talk to Max?"  
  
"Not for long." Came the suspicious answer. "Alec needed to talk to her." He tried to say it as though he didn't care.  
  
Jondy nodded. "So, what's there to do for fun around here?"  
  
Logan looked up, a small smile on his face. "You know how to play pool?"  
  
Jondy shrugged casually, returning the smile. "A bit."  
  
Logan nodded the lead her to the rec centre. "It you're anywhere as good as Max, you might almost beat me."  
  
Jondy laughed as she followed Logan into the rec centre. 


End file.
